A Song of Gods and Goddesses
by charta.alae
Summary: Book I of the Firefly Chronicles. Son Goku is a legend among men, a beacon of hope for the small planet of Earth. But when he makes the decision to stay dead for the sake of the world, what can those he left behind do to stop the impending danger looming over his beloved planet? Who is Chaos, and why are they such a threat that even a God fears them?
1. Prologue

**A Song of Gods and Goddesses**

 **by Charta Alae**

 **Prologue – Supernova**

 _(n) a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass._

The sky wept.

Everything lacked colour in her eyes, the normally vibrant hues in her world having been drained away ever since the day she lost him. Her husband—her light of hope. Not just _her_ light of hope, either; he was a shining beacon to all those he knew and befriended, even to entire races light-years away from his little home planet. He was a hero. He was _her_ hero, _her_ love and life, the one that—despite his tendencies to vanish for months or even years at a time, leaving her with their son—she could never have lived completely without. Even when he was gone for such extended periods of time, Chi-Chi knew he was safe, knew he could come back to her. But now…

Now, Son Goku was dead.

His smile was like the sun: warm and gentle, lighting up her life without any real effort on his part. But now her sun was gone, leaving behind an eternally night sky. Now, everything was overcast, thick clouds hanging over her head, rain pouring down her cheeks and hiding those tears that just wouldn't dry. Gohan worried, she knew he did—he fretted and checked on her, he studied like he knew she'd always wanted him to, but it was forced. Her only son knew that she'd wanted the best for him, and she knew some part of him hoped that if he achieved what she deemed "the best" that she'd come out of this depression. That she would come home.

A trembling hand pressed against her still-flat stomach and Chi-Chi sighed, onyx eyes stinging with fresh tears. Soon, Gohan wouldn't be her only child. Her father, as well off as he was, couldn't possibly support another child along with her and Gohan. What was she supposed to do? How could she tell Gohan that not only did he need to worry about getting in to school, he also had a sibling on the way? Without a father?

Taking a deep breath, Chi-Chi stood on trembling legs and made her way to the front door with a murmured excuse toward Gohan, who stared after her with sad eyes. Those eyes that were so like his father's. _Please. Don't look at me like that_ , she wanted to beg him. _Mommy can't bear it—Daddy is gone and Mommy just doesn't know what to do. What do I do!?_

It was raining, but Chi-Chi couldn't bring herself to mind the sensation of water against her skin. As she stumbled forward, her hands across her stomach, she let the sobs tear their way up her throat. She'd been hiding them for nearly a week now, pushing off a surely violent breakdown, a week since she found out she was pregnant—a mother needed to be strong for her boy. He didn't need to worry that his mother was a sniveling mess, weeping out in the rain, begging her husband to please come back.

"I can't do this alone," she wailed, one hand over her mouth and the other pressed against her stomach. She could feel her heartbeat there, and somehow it felt broken, jagged. It felt like a piece was missing. Chi-Chi couldn't even pay any mind to the chill of the rain permeating her clothes, clinging to her skin and hair. She was too weak, too lost in her despair. "I can't raise another baby and take care of Gohan—Goku, I can't do it. I—I—"

Darkness swallowed her whole, and she welcomed it.

Chi-Chi felt like she was floating in a river, or perhaps a lake by the lack of a current around her—although, she didn't feel the consistency of water when she moved. It was almost like she was floating alone in her own little world, weightless and warm. Dry. Safe. Here, she could cry out and no one would see, no one would hear. No one would worry. She could just stay here… forever…

" _Don't give up._ "

Tired, coal-black eyes blinked open, scanning the blank darkness around her. Who has spoken just now? She was alone here, in this infinite dark. It stretched forever, all-encompassing, pressing against her heart. A thrill of panic swept through her body as Chi-Chi glanced around wildly—was she dead? What about the baby? Goku. Gohan. Gohan _needed_ her—this _baby_ needed her—

Suddenly a light exploded before her, billions of smaller lights zipping past her at speeds she'd only ever seen her husband achieve. Smears of blue, purple, white and red blossomed around her, cocooning her in warmth and light, and Chi-Chi's muscles relaxed. It was like she was wrapped in a loving embrace, one that she someone knew but couldn't place. Her eyes slid closed and purple light pulsed behind her eyelids, easing her back into unconsciousness as the warmth of this vivid supernova engulfed her enitrety.

" _Don't give up._ "

Chi-Chi opened her eyes, a jolt of cold washing over her body as she realised her clothing was soaked through to the bone. She was lying in the grass, on her back, her hands wrapped around her stomach. The rain had stopped, she noted distractedly, and slowly the sounds of the night were creeping into her conscious mind. Crickets sang their mournful tune around her as she gingerly sat up, eyes drinking in the beauty that was the night outside of her home.

Underneath the light of the bright, white full moon above her, everything was bathed in a soft cerulean light. The foliage around her emitted an almost ethereal glow, and there Chi-Chi sat, entranced by the glorious sensations assaulting all of her senses. The sounds of wildlife in the forest, the smell of freshly fallen rain, the soothing spectrum of colours dancing through the night.

"Oh!" She squeaked, caught off guard as a little light blipped into existence before her very eyes. It died out only to come back once more, hovering before her, followed by several more. Suddenly it was like her dream—was it a dream?—all over again, with lights dancing around her as she stared. These lights were strangely soothing, calling out to her very soul, easing all of her fears and her worries. A little supernova of fireflies, all for her.

"I can do this." Feeling a new strength from somewhere deep in her heart, Chi-Chi pressed a loving hand to her stomach once more before she shakily made it to her feet. Steadily, the raven-haired woman strode to her home, opening the door wide with a genuine smile on her lips. For the first time since the loss of her beloved Goku, Chi-Chi felt like laughing at her son's alarmed expression. No doubt she was quite a sight, having been outside for an unknown amount of time and coming back soaked, wearing a very rare smile.

"Gohan, we need to talk."

* * *

On January 6th, age 768, Gohan swore he would die of a stress-related heart attack.

After Trunks had been born, Bulma had hired an on-site doctor to work at Capsule Corp. at all times. He was becoming as well versed as he could be in Human-Saiyan hybrids thanks to not only looking after Trunks' medical needs, but Gohan's as well. Now, he was getting even more experience—since early the morning before, Son Chi-Chi had been brought in, obviously in labour, by her panicking son.

Gohan had not only refused to the leave room—despite how he went green in the face at the sight of childbirth—but he had thrown an absolute fit every time his mother cried out in pain. The young hybrid boy asked a million questions per minute: was she okay, was his little brother or sister okay, was he even doing his job? It took everything Dr. Takahata had in him to not throw the child out of his delivery room and call it a day.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly as a baby boy was removed, wailing with his little brown tail wrapping around the not-quite-as-disurbed Doctor's wrist. After all, he had delivered Trunks. He knew what to expect.

Sort of.

The real surprise came from the scream his patient had emitted after he'd believed everything was said and done. She convulsed, her hands gripping the sheets as an abnormal amount of blood began staining the bed. Worried, Dr. Takahata easily handed off the infant to Bulma Briefs, who was caught between trying to help and fretting over her friend. _That woman sure has some lungs in her,_ the man grumbled internally, wincing as Chi-Chi hit a particularly high octave with her shriek. Expert hands, shaking only slightly, went through the practiced movements of checking for any irregularities. _What the_ …

"I need you to push for me again, Mrs. Son," Dr. Takahata called over her cries, cradling the small head that was already crowning.

"Push?!" Chi-Chi sreeched, lifting her head up despite her son's protests. "I thought—w-we were done with _that part_!?"

"Twins," he told her gruffly, his own eyes wide and mirroring her astonishment. Twins. During his study lessons with Vegeta, who had wanted to make sure the "imbecile" knew what he was doing with Saiyan physiology before treating his "heir," Takahata had learned that Saiyan twins were a rarity. Something like only one pair every several millennia. Usually they were held in high regard and treated as royalty, since their power levels normally dwarfed the other Saiyans easily.

"Twins?" Chi-Chi breathed as the pain died down, listening intently for the sound of her second child's scream. None came. "Is—is something wrong? Are they okay?"

"She," he corrected idly. A female Saiyan was also a rarity in itself, Vegeta had said. Typically women in Saiyan culture had several partners for the sake of breeding, as they were not often born. The doctor lifted the bloodied child for her mother to see. She was moving and breathing, yet she still did not cry. Frowing, Takahata easily wiped her free of filth and bundled her in a little pink blanket.

As both children were settled in Chi-Chi's arms, Gohan felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. His arms felt like lead and his legs dragged as he shuffled forward. Twins. He had not only a baby brother, but a baby _sister_. A baby sister to protect and shower in love while he roughed up his baby brother. Timidly, he stepped closer and pressed a hand against his sister's tiny head, fingertips ruffling the tuft of soft, black hair. Beside her, his brother stopped his wailing.

"So, what are you going to name them?" Bulma asked gently, stepping up opposite of Gohan. She rested a comforting hand against his mother's arm and smiled softly, no doubt thinking back on her own delivery of Trunks months ago. Her turquoise locks were up in a messy bun, several strands spilling out over her forehead and down her neck. She stressed just as much as he had, much to Vegeta's annoyance, and had not left his mother's side since she'd gone into labour.

"Goten, for the boy," Chi-Chi admitted softly. Her onyx eyes softened just slightly as she stared at her two newest additions to her family—her beautiful boy and girl, both as lovely as she could have ever wanted. "I thought Goku would—would like it."

"He would," Gohan affirmed, nodding his head and smiling softly at his mother as he blinked away the tears suddenly misting in his eyes. His sister's little fist coiled around his mother's hospital gown, drawing Chi-Chi's gaze to focus on her. "But what about her? Did you think about a girl's name?"

Chi-Chi paused for a moment, still gazing down on the sleeping face of her child, as she pondered on a name for a little girl. Her mind drifted back to that hazy night in the rain, how the lights in her dream had danced around her, and how when she'd awakened there were fireflies floating in the night. That strange dream with the star exploding in to life around her. She remembered the warmth of their light and the peace they had brought to her, and with a soft smile she turned her gaze up to her now eldest son.

"Hotaru," Chi-Chi told him firmly. "Our little Firefly."

* * *

 **So, this is my first project since the (honestly, lackluster) ending of _Gift_ and the infant-stages of _Obligation_. This annoying idea wouldn't get out of my mind, and so I wound up typing up a prologue for the story. It will be at least two, perhaps three "books" long—each will be posted as their own individual stories, and their lengths will vary. I'm super happy to finally get this out on paper.**

 **Now, to clear up a bit on confusion that may stem: Obviously this is pre-Buu saga. It'll get pretty AU from here on out, but I plan on sticking to all of the source material given to me not only by Akira Toriyama, but also by Naoko Takeuchi. The Sailor Moon side of this story will be 100% AU, yet at some points you'll notice bits of Sailor Moon canon mentioned. There's a reason for this, it will be explained.**

 **And for those of you wondering about _Obligation_ , it will be eventually finished. However, I'm currently doing a rewrite of, well, the entire _Gift!verse_ , so that may take a while longer. My apologies.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**


	2. Luminescence

**A Song of Gods and Goddesses**

 **by Charta Alae**

 **Chapter One – Luminescence**

 _(n) the creation of light by processes that do not involve heat._

"Gohan, could you watch your sister for a moment? Please?"

"Sure!" Gohan called back, standing from the clutter of his desk at the sound of his mother's voice. It had been roughly five months since the birth of his twin siblings, Goten and Hotaru, and the now eleven-year-old Son Gohan was as doting as a big brother could be toward his baby sister. He absolutely fawned over her every day, snagging her from his mother when she wasn't sleeping or feeding in order to play and generally coddle her. With ease he lifted her small frame from his mother's occupied arms—Goten seemed to be having another tantrum today, a polar opposite of his normally calm twin—and whisked Hotaru outside for the day.

It was still early June, nearly a month after Gohan's eleventh birthday, and it was the very definition of summer outside. A nice, calming breeze seemed to dance through the hills around them, brushing against the leaves to make a calming symphony of something that could only be described as Nature. The eldest Son child lifted off the ground, grinning brightly at Hotaru's elated giggle, and began to turn in a sedated dance, spinning in place as he hovered above their home. This was something he only shared with his baby sister, as Goten did not enjoy it quite like she did.

"Dad," Gohan murmured, black eyes drifting to stare at Hotaru as her own onyx gaze took in the world spiraling around her. "You sure are missing something amazing."

Goku probably hadn't the slightest clue that he'd left behind not only his son, but a pregnant wife as well. He was probably blissfully unaware that he had two more children who would grow up without having ever met their father. With a pang of guilt over the bitterness in his heart, Gohan admitted to himself that he understood why Goku had refused to come back. He understood, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

He missed his father, but even more so, he wanted his father to witness these two amazing children—a shrill scream erupted below him and he chuckled, shaking his head.

Okay. One amazingly well behaved baby and one textbook definition of a Human-Saiyan hybrid, then. Either way, Son Goku was missing out on something incredible, something that he would definitely regret should he ever find out. Then again…

"Man, 'Taru," Gohan laughed, doing a fast little twirl and widening his grin at the little girl's full-blown joyous laughter. "Imagine Dad with a daughter, though! He'd have no clue what to do with himself."

The mere notion made him snicker under his breath, though he fell silent upon feeling a familiar energy approaching his home. Mr. Piccolo, his beloved teacher and somewhat of a second father, had taken to appearing at the Son household fairly reguarly to check up on Gohan. Definitely not for the children—well, specifically not Goten, he didn't mind the ever-quiet Hotaru—and most certainly not Chi-Chi. No sir. Piccolo was far above that. With a small smile at his sister, Gohan turned to face the direction the Namekian would be approaching from, adjusting his firm grip on the bundled babe in his arms.

"Gohan." Piccolo, always straight to business, nodded to the young boy. Was Gohan imgining that glimmer of pride in the green man's eyes?

"Mr. Piccolo," Gohan greeted in return, his lips twitching when Hotaru cooed out an attempt at repeating his words. They were merely garbled "baby-speak," as Bulma called it in one of her infamous child-care lessons, but they made a muscle in Piccolo's jaw jump the slightest bit. A sure sign that the infant had already wormed her way under his skin. "What can I do for you today?"

"I just came to check on you," Piccolo stated gruffly, crossing his arms and resolutely looking away from the child in Gohan's arms. Stubborn alien slug man. "I wanted to offer you a spar, you know—to get some of the stress out of your system. I'm sure between studying and taking care of your brother and sister you must need some form of outlet."

"I guess so." Shrugging, the half-Saiyan glanced down at Hotaru. She stared back up at him, smiling without a care in the world as she reached a chubby little hand up to touch his cheek. The familiar warmth she and her brother inspired in him blossomed in his chest, and his smile widened as her little fingertips stayed in contact with his skin. Something about his sister was just so calming… "I mean, the only difficult one is Goten, y'know? But mom probably would agree with you about an outlet."

"That'll be the day." Gohan could practically _see_ the sarcasm dripping from his former teacher's words. After all, Son Chi-Chi held the world record for being the least understanding wife of the century when it came to her husband.

"It's true, you know." Piccolo raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical, but Gohan simply shook his head. "Mom says that now, looking at them, she sees why you and dad wanted to train me. To prepare me. She couldn't bear if someone attacked and these two got caught in the crossfire without knowing what to do. She wants… she wants them to know how to defend themselves, and she's counting on me to protect _them_ since Dad is gone."

Piccolo considered him for a moment, eyes unreadable and his mouth set in a firm line. "That's quite a bit of responsibility."

"Yeah," nodding his head in agreement, Gohan brought one hand up to let Hotaru hold onto his index finger. His heart skipped a beat at the sensastion of her weak squeeze and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and releasing it through his teeth. "But… I want to protect them, too. I wanna protect everyone, but I also want to make mom happy. So we agreed on a compromise—as long as I could handle it, I could still train if I studied and made it into a decent High School. Nothing too fancy, just somewhere that I can get a good education."

"Well, then, it sounds like your mother got your brother to sleep," the Namekian commented, tilting his head slightly as if listening to the sounds below them. Knowing him, that's probably exactly what Piccolo was doing. "And your sister looks tired. Why not drop her off inside and go train for a while? Afterward we can pick up some game in the forest for dinner."

Smiling, Gohan nodded and started his descent toward the ground. "Sounds good."

* * *

"Hey, 'Taru—what're you doin' out here?"

Son Hotaru looked up from her arrangement of wildflowers, black eyes meeting with the matching pair of her twin brother, Goten. The familiar spikes adorning his head made her smile, the sight of him causing the strange tense feeling that had been weighing on her all day to simply melt away. Today was their fourth birthday, and despite the chill of the January air, Hotaru had wanted to pick some winter-blooming flowers for her mother as a thank you for the party she was throwing them. They were expecting quite the turnout this year: this was the first time since the defeat of Cell—the very name sent a pang of something fierce through Hotaru's system—that all of the Z Fighters would be gathered together. Everyone except…

"…Hey, 'Ten?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you…" Hotaru paused, her small hands wringing in her lap as she kept her gaze focused on the grass below her knees. This question always seemed to hover in the air of the Son household, yet no one seemed brave enough to actually ask it. Despite the years that have passed, the grief was still too fresh, the pain just as raw as the day they had lost him. "Do you think that Dad will…?"

Goten's expression softened at the mention of the father they had never met. He, too, wished for their father to come back to them. More than anything, he wished that their mother wouldn't have to look at him with such sad eyes, no doubt remembering how much Goten looked like his Dad. Goten couldn't bear the way she'd blink back tears, apologising and telling him to "go play" while she took up imanginary chores to hide those tears. But as much as he wished it, he knew Hotaru wished for Goku even more.

His twin was much more empathetic than he was. Gohan had noticed it, too, and the two of them had become rather protective of their baby sister. When she saw someone in pain, _she_ was in pain. Her heart would literally break for them, and depending on intensity of the atmosphere, she'd been known to have an "attack." They called her spasms of pain "attacks;" her first one had been on the anniversary of their father's death last year. Chi-Chi had taken one look at her son that morning and turned around, going to her room before breaking down.

But as they heard her first sob, it was mirrored by a heart-wrenching wail from his sister.

" _Mommy's heart is—is breaking. Daddy… Daddy…!"_

They had all been worried, but even more so when Hotaru had suddenly fallen to her knees, clutching her chest. She was breathing so hard that she almost seemed to try to scream between inhales, her fingers fisted so tightly to her chest that Gohan had feared they would break. She had curled in on herself despite both brothers' attempts at soothing her—she hadn't even reacted to her mother's tear-streaked face asking what was wrong. She'd passed out after what seemed like several agonising hours, and after bringing their doctor to their home from the Briefs compound, they learned that there was more to this issue than they were quite prepared for.

Vegeta had told Chi-Chi once or twice that he believed the twins were special. Saiyans were not a race to frequently have twins, and despite his jealousy that Kakarott was their father, he held the two of them in a _very_ high regard. Much to Gohan's irritation, though, he held Hotaru even higher than her brother. A Saiyan female who was also a twin was something that Vegeta had never heard of before; the girl was such a rarity that during their very first encounter, Vegeta had stared silently for several moments before simply reaching out to touch her forehead. His expression was one of complete awe, and without another word he had turned and left the room.

" _Those two are destined for amazing things,"_ Vegeta had told Gohan and Chi-Chi one night as she held the twins in her arms. _"The girl, though—_ she _is the one we should watch. She will be powerful, and trust me when I say we want that power on our side."_

Chi-Chi had never wanted to believe him more than the night of Hotaru's first attack.

" _Your daughter's body is rather frail,"_ the doctor had explained to a stonefaced Gohan and weeping Chi-Chi. _"It would seem that when she becomes too stressed, her heart can't take the strain and it gives out. This could prove to be fatal… I'm sorry, but as of right now, there is nothing I can do."_

Heartbroken, Chi-Chi had begged the group to gather the Dragon Balls and ask Shenron for his assistance, but Piccolo and Dende were both quick to let her down as gently as possible. Being a natural occurance in her daughter, there was nothing Shenron could do for her—it was Hotaru's destiny to live this way, and Shenron would not be able to change that.

And so with heavy hearts, her family had made a silent vow to protect her no matter what.

"—en? Goten?"

"Oh," Goten blinked hastily, glancing up into the worried eyes of his twin sister. He'd somehow taken a trip down memory lane and lost himself in the haze of his thoughts, entirely forgetting that Hotaru was waiting on an answer. "Ah—sorry, 'Taru, I was thinkin'."

"A dangerous pass-time," Hotaru quoted their big brother with a smile, standing to pat the dirt off of her dress. A dark purple with black lace, her mother's current favourite colour scheme to dress her in. "C'mon, let's go inside. Mommy won't like it if we catch a cold, y'know."

"Uh, sure…"

Paying no mind to the blooms left scattered on the forest floor, Goten raced after his sister.

* * *

It was official—Trunks was a huge jerk.

Hotaru glared at the lavender-haired boy goofing off beside her twin brother with a pout, her little arms crossed over her chest. He was just—ugh! How did someone as nice as auntie Bulma have a son as stubborn and irritating as _him_? Not even uncle Vegeta was rude enough as to pull on a girl's hair and make fun of her dress! Vegeta was always very polite to Hotaru, and vaguely the little girl noted to make sure his father passed on the lesson to his son.

Sure, perhaps a black lace dress wasn't exactly fitting for the early August heat, and sure, most everyone else wore more colourful clothing for Bulma's birthday celebration, but Hotaru just preferred black. A small part of her whispered that black and purples were her best colours, but the seven-year-old girl simply shrugged the notion off with a small smile. Her mother, thankfully, agreed that with her daughter's porcelain skin the dark clothing seemed appropriate.

"Mommy," Hotaru chirpped happily, her irritation with the Briefs heir completely forgotten as she spied the perfect place to sit on a hill. "I'm gonna go up there, okay?"

"Just stay where I can see you, please," Chi-Chi told her distractedly, her fingers coming up to run through Hotaru's short raven locks. Hotaru smiled softly, leaning into the affectionate touch. She adored her mother, who—despite the inside jokes of the Z-fighters—was the most caring and understanding person in the world. Son Chi-Chi loved her children with every ounce of her being, despite her still-broken heart.

A wave of sadness washed over Hotaru as she watched her mother, knowing that this was yet another event her father wouldn't attend with them. Was he truly never coming back to them? Would she never meet him, never learn anything about him except what her mother or the others were willing to tell her? Would he like her? Did he only want sons? Would the fact that she was physically weak and couldn't achieve Super Saiyan like her brothers and Trunks disappoint him?

With a little dejected sigh, the small girl trudged away from her mother and sat atop the hill, a breeze tossing her hair around her slender shoulders. It was nice here, and for a time she could forget all the sadness that still hung over such a gathering. Everyone here had lost someone special in Goku, and despite how they tried to move forward, they truly couldn't remove the cloud that hung over all of their heads. For a moment, onyx eyes shifted to amethyst as they peered down below, taking in the faces of all those gathered here. Despite the pain in their hearts and the loss of the one who brought them all together, they all still fought to stay in touch. To not lose that sacred bond that Goku tied around each and every one of them.

The light faded from Son Hotaru's eyes and she fell backward against the grass, everything fading to black.

* * *

" _Wake up."_

Hotaru weakly opened her eyes, heavy against the weariness that seemed to press down on her tiny body. All around her was darkness, an endless void that threatened to swallow her whole. No matter where she turned, she saw nothing but the inky blackness that clung to her hair and skin. The darkness permeated her very soul and Hotaru curled in on herself, her eyes filling with frightened tears. She wanted her mommy, her brothers. Her daddy…

Light exploded around her all at once, all colours of the spectrum smearing across her vision as they mixed together in a light show. Within her there was a sensation of power, like the biggest spring in the universe being pressed flat. It cut through the noise of the explosion, dragging a cloak of silence behind it. The sound started like a hiss, as though the whole world was taking a deep breath. It turned into… not noise, but something more like an invisible hammer that smacked into both of Hotaru's ears at once. The flattened spring is released, and that infinite black space erupted with so much magical energy that not even infinity can contain it. Hotaru forced her eyes closed against the force of the explosion, her scream lost in the sound of rushing power.

" _Wake up, sleeping soul under my protection."_

The frightening sensations and sounds all fell silent as soon as that voice rang out, a sudden calm drifting through the abyss. Hotaru gingerly opened her eyes, her hands still clenched to her chest as she peeked up from under her lashes to see where the voice had come from.

In front of her was the form of a lovely young girl; she looked only to be around Gohan's age, with hair the same length as Hotaru's own and eyes as vivid as any amethyst stone. She was clad in a strange white uniform, adorned with purple accents like a choker and a skirt, and a strange crystal pinned to the bow on her chest. Tall purple boots and long white gloves completed the admittedly odd outfit, and Hotaru found herself lost in the way the girl seemed to radiate power. She positively glowed a faint purple, the same purple of her eyes.

"Who… are you?"

" _I am Saturn,"_ she responded, her voice so serene that it coaxed any and all tension out of Hotaru's body. _"I am your guardian."_

"My guardian?"

Smiling softly, Saturn nodded at the small child and drifted closer. Hotaru's eyes turned to the weapon clutched in the guardian's hands, a long pole-arm weapon with a deadly curved blade on top. It looked sort of like a G in it's shape, and briefly Hotaru wondered why someone who seemed even stronger than her big brother needed such a blade.

" _The time is fast approaching,"_ Saturn's voice turned grave, and Hotaru turned to gaze back to the older woman's eyes. They looked like they contained actual galaxies within them, small planet systems flickering in those shining depths, and Hotaru found herself nodding. She felt like if she stared for too long, she could become lost. _"You must awaken soon."_

"Awaken?" Hotaru questioned, frowning. "Soon?"

" _Stop Lord Beerus, and beware of Chaos, Son Hotaru."_

* * *

 **And here's the official first chapter. This is mainly to get the ball rolling and do a little bit of setup for the world before the plot truly starts. As you can see, you've got the very beginnings of the plot blossoming here, with Hotaru dreaming of Saturn and a hint of the first Big Bad to pay a visit to the Z-Fighters. To those of you seeing the BotG setup here, you're right-Beerus and Whis will be making an appearance in this fic, however the circumstances and the timing is going to deviate from the series.**

 **Hopefully you guys enjoy this!**


	3. Déjà Vu

**A Song of Gods and Goddesses**

 **by Charta Alae**

 **Chapter Two – Déjà Vu**

 _(n) a feeling that one has seen or heard something before._

Son Goku had been dead for seven years, two months and twenty-one days.

He had counted each and every day during his relentless training, his mind constantly on the family and friends he had left behind on the planet called Earth. For two thousand six hundred and thirty-nine days, Son Goku pushed himself to his limit, day after day, constantly telling himself that staying behind was the right thing to do. If he had stayed on Earth and lived with his family, eventually more trouble would come searching for him—he was like a raging flame, attracting moths to him and causing trouble for billions of innocent people. Despite how much Goku missed Chi-Chi, or Gohan, or Bulma, or Krillin—no matter how much he wished he could have stayed with them, the lives of all those innocents were more important… right?

A strange niggling in his gut disagreed, and Goku grit his teeth, pushing himself harder against the gravity of King Kai's little planet.

He couldn't be so selfish as to try and go back now. After all, seven years was a long time. There's no way Chi-Chi would let him off the hook easily now; he had left her, yet again, to raise Gohan all by herself. Again. Did he mention he'd done this several times now? Because he had.

"I'm the worst husband ever…" Goku moaned, letting himself fall face first into the chilled grass beneath him.

As he lay there, eyes closed against the earth, his mind wandered. Did Gohan keep his training up after Goku never came back? Probably not. More than likely Chi-Chi refused to let the boy do anything other than study, which was fine, too. She held their son's education in high regard, while he himself just cared about the boy's strength. Not just his physical strength, but his emotional strength as well. He wanted to teach Gohan compassion, to engrave in him the morals that he himself had carved unto himself over time. His son's heart was pure, his smile as bright as any sun, and Goku never wanted that to become corrupted. The world could be wicked, but Goku had wanted to teach him to be strong and never give up.

"I wonder…" Was Gohan happy? What about Krillin? His best friend had some girlfriend trouble right before the whole Cell fiasco, didn't he? How was he fairing? He was a great guy, a sure catch for any woman who wasn't blind. Surely Krillin had settled down. Hopefully Master Roshi was still in good health, Oolong and Turtle as well. Were Tien and Chiaotzu still wandering through the mountains, growing stronger as they followed their own path in the world? And what about the androids—well, the cyborgs? Man, he was still bad about that misclassification. What about Bulma? Had she and Vegeta finally reconciled their differences? He could see they cared for one another, but they were both so darn stubborn!

"…I wonder how everyone is doing."

He imagined that Vegeta was training Trunks by now. He didn't even have to imagine it; he knew the Saiyan prince well enough to know he would have started long before now. Possibly after Goku himself had died. Bulma would have no doubt thrown a fit over it with as protective over Trunks as she was, yet Goku also knew that she'd eventually warm up to the idea. More than likely the Briefs heiress would see it as male bonding time and learn to treasure the bond son and father share.

Here with King Kai wasn't so bad if he were honest. Despite the constant ache in his heart, where the absence of his family was most keenly felt, he felt quite at home with the Kai and his strange companions. He got along with them well, and somehow they'd become a second family of sorts. Here, he could push himself past his limits, train day in and day out, push himself where he's never even looked before. Here, exhaustion existed on such a small scale that he could just rest for an hour or so before pushing himself even harder than before.

Goku could feel the thrum of his Saiyan blood in his veins, could feel the raw power rushing through his body at the mere thought of his current power level. He was so close to a breaking the surface of his Super Saiyan power, so close to breaking free of the cap placed on his strength. He knew that his second-level Super Saiyan transformation was powerful, but something even greater loomed overhead.

"A third-level of Super Saiyan," Goku mused to himself, sighing heavily.

The personality change of the second level was hard enough to handle at first—he'd seen what it did to his son, and he had experienced it firsthand as well. The sudden blood-thirst, the merciless self-serving urges that swallowed him whole. His ki reacted to his thoughts and he grunted, not even looking up to see the little flashes of blue lightning crawling across his body.

Was there a limit to how strong a Super Saiyan could become? Was he doing irreparable damage to himself—physically and mentally—by pushing past the obvious walls around his power?

"I hear you, Supreme Kai…" King Kai's voice startled Goku from his musings, causing the Saiyan to lift himself into a sitting position. _Supreme Kai?_ Was that his boss or something? It sounded like his long-time instructor was fighting to keep his voice low, and a quick glance in the direction of his mumbling revealed the Kai's shoulders hunched, as if he were trying to hide that he were speaking at all. Perhaps he'd forgotten that, while they were nothing compared to a Namekian's, a Sayain's ears were still quite sensitive. "Loud and clear—yes. Of course. Sure, I noticed. His energy's like a freight train."

"Hey, King Kai! What're you—"

"Could you keep it down, Goku?!" King Kai snapped, cutting Goku off with a pointed glare. "I'm trying to talk!" The Kai then paused, tilting his head as if listening to something before tensing up and spinning away from Goku. The Saiyan man's lips twitched into a grin; it was painfully obvious that he was speaking to someone, and he suddenly seemed very uneasy that Goku may overhear. "Yeah, he's _the_ Son Goku… he's been dead for the past seven years, yes. Training on my planet. Uh huh? O-oh, right—you're right. Things could get sticky fast! Ixnay on the Lord Beerus around Goku, yes sir."

Goku decided that this was his opportunity. "What's a Beerus?"

With an undignified squeal of terror, King Kai all but flew away from Goku, putting several feet between them with a trail of grass and dirt in his wake. Breathing heavily, the small Kai pressed a blue hand to his chest, his face a darker hue than usual. "N-n-nothing! I'm just, you know, mumbling random words!"

"Does it taste like Root Beer?"

Realisation dawned on King Kai's face, and Goku smirked inwardly. He knew that sometimes he could come off as painfully naive, but he he wasn't stupid. King Kai was definitely hiding something. "Oh yeah! They're great, you know—super sweet, but kinda bitter."

"If it was just a snack," Goku countered, crossing his arms over his chest. "You wouldn't sound so nervous."

For a moment King Kai could only stare at the Saiyan man, his face slack with surprise at just how astute Goku could truly be. Despite the man's usual attitude, he wasn't quite as dense as he once seemed. King Kai reached up to scratch his cheek, a bead of sweat rolling down his face as he looked over the adult—yes, Goku was an adult, _when did that happen_ —man staring back at him. Somehow while he wasn't looking a worldly sort of shine had taken up residence in Goku's eyes, a mature light that showed just how much his views had changed when he'd sacrificed his life for the world. He had seen the Saiyan brooding more and more frequently, no doubt missing his family, and slowly that light seemed to grow brighter—it refused to diminish with time, and King Kai began to wonder if that was a glimmer of hope for his return home one day…

Or acceptance that he would never get to go back?

"Alright, alright… you're right. It's top secret information, very hush hush." King Kai relented at last, dragging his eyes away from Goku's own. Away from the halo hanging over his signature, spiked raven hair. Somehow he felt a pang of sadness for the man—they didn't even get to check up on the current events of his home, probably because Goku knew it would be too much. _If it's not a huge threat that everyone can't handle without me_ , Goku had told him, _I don't wanna know. Please._

"Oh, now I have to know!" Goku cheered, causing King Kai's lips to twitch slightly. He could _still_ be such a child sometimes. "C'mon! It sounds juicy!"

"Nope," King Kai told him firmly, popping the _p_ for emphasis. "Not telling."

"Fine," Goku sang, his hand reaching up to press his index and middle finger against his forehead. Instant transmission? Why would he do that? "You were talking to someone called Supreme Kai, right? Why don't I just pop around for a while until I can find him and ask him myself then, _hm_?"

King Kai panicked at the mere notion, his hands coming up in the universal gesture of surrender. "Alright—I-I'll talk, I'll talk! Drop the fingers, _please_!" He so did not need Goku meeting the Supreme Kai yet. Or at all, if he had his way. If the two were ever forced to meet, that would mean something absolutely horrible was coming.

Though with Lord Beerus, that may be the case…

"Now, Goku, this may seem impossible to you, but there are deities whose purpose is to create life in the universe, to watch over and protect it. While the Kai's, like myself, exist for that purpose, we aren't nearly as powerful as those deities. They're Gods, _actual_ Gods. Each deity has their own elements they represent, and there are many tiers in the pantheon of the Gods…" King Kai trailed off for a moment, looking troubled as he began to pace back and forth in front of Goku, placing his arms behind his back. "But there are also those who exist only to destroy. Light cannot exist without dark, you see—and that is what Lord Beerus is the God of. He is this universe's God of Destruction."

" _This_ universe?" Goku mumbled, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "So he's a bad guy?"

"Yes, _t_ _his_ universe—there are several, because we're only part of one huge Multiverse. Now pay attention, this is important." Goku pouted slightly at the Kai's tone, shifting his weight before plopping down to sit, his legs crossed as he watched the Kai continue his path. "It's not that he's evil. Just because he's the God of Destruction for this universe doesn't mean he's evil, you know. He just does what he's meant to do—everything has its end, you see? The beginning and the ending. Both are necessary."

 _A God?_ Goku's lips stretched into a confident grin, his eyes shining with a familiar light. This had to be the strongest opponent he'd faced, and he _really_ wanted to see just what this Lord Beerus could do!

"Ohhhhh no you don't!" King Kai bellowed, gaze fixed on that look he knew so well. He pointed a menacing figure in Goku's face, his own taking on a nearly purple hue due to his extremely elevated stress levels. This situation was one hundred percent _not good_. "You are _not_ fighting Beerus. That's insane! It's _suicide_! He's one of the strongest beings that exists! And if you made enemies with him, you'd therefore make enemies with his Mother."

"…His mom?"

"No," King Kai groaned, running his hands over his face in exasperation. He hated explaining the Pantheon to people—it was just too confusing for simple mortals. Heck, it was difficult for _him_ to grasp. He sat down next to Goku, sticking a finger into the dirt to attempt to draw out a family tree of sorts. He labeled them as he spoke. "His Mother, the one who's Domain he falls under. Beerus belongs to _this_ universe, but there are Goddesses who exist over the entire Multiverse. Beerus falls under the Goddess Saturn."

"And what's Saturn the Goddess of?" Goku asked, his eyes glancing over all of the names and lines as he hurriedly tried to take it all in. "And the way this chart is laid out is strange—so the ones on the very top are those outside of the Multiverse, but the ones under this line are only in _our_ universe?"

"Yes." King Kai nodded, pointing at the very top of the tree to four names that sat higher than all the others. He gestured to the names as he explained, glancing at Goku to be sure he was catching it all. Those two names lacked any kind of symbol drawn next to them, making them stand out. "Serenity—sometimes Cosmos, depending on her mood—and Chaos. They're essentially over everyone, very bitter enemies, but they're the ones who maintain the balance of the Multiverse. If one existed without the other, everything would simply end. Hope you never meet them." His finger slid down easily, pointing to the symbol reminiscent of the letter _P_ if it were underlined. "Pluto, Goddess of Space and Time. No one has ever met her face to face, because she stays in a place between times, policing all time travel and any traversing through the Multiverse."

With a dramatic pause, Goku leaned forward as King Kai's finger rested on the name Saturn; the symbol beside that name was like a hybrid of a cross and a lowercase letter h. _Where have I seen that symbol before?_ "And Saturn?"

"Saturn…" King Kai's voice actually trembled as he spoke, as if he was hesitant to continue on the subject. "She is the Goddess of Death and Rebirth. She wields the Silence Glaive—a legendary weapon that, should the blade ever touch the surface of a planet, can tear it apart from the inside out. She deals with taking the lives of those who she deems is destined to die—she is always there, unseen, destroying the planet before planting a seed elsewhere to give birth to new life. Her power is a double-edged sword… she dies when she destroys a planet."

"Wow… and she's Beerus' mommy?"

"Not literally," King Kai sighed, rolling his eyes at Goku's question. Typical Goku. "Like I said, he belongs to her Domain. He answers to her."

"I've… seen that symbol before. I'm sure of it." Goku mumbled after a moment, bringing his fingers up to grip his chin firmly. This was his nervous tick, his usual pose when he was thinking too hard on something. A small voice in his mind told him he was right, that he'd seen that sign somewhere. On multiple occasions… but where?

"I always knew you were different than most people," King Kai told him with a nod, as if his words weren't truly surprising to him. The old Kai pointed up at the halo hanging over Goku's head as if it explained everything, and after a beat of awkward silence he sighed once more. "Everyone sees something of hers when they die. Whether it be her symbol, or her weapon, everyone does. Not everyone remembers—and only the three people have ever seen her in her entirety upon their death."

"Three?"

"The three Supreme Kais," King Kai explained softly, his entire aura shifting to one of immense sadness. Goku found himself stunned, having never seen King Kai react in such a way before. "There are Kais, like myself, and then above us are the Supreme Kais. There were four: North, East, South, and West. The only survivor after a terrible battle was the Eastern Supreme Kai, who is now simply known as our Supreme Kai. Those who died fighting against that threat were graced with a meeting with Saturn herself. No one will tell what exactly she said to them."

"And what about this name?" Goku asked suddenly, hoping for an adequate distraction and dragging King Kai's attention down to a name above Beerus', yet still below the line for their universe. "Above Beerus in rank, but still part of only this universe, right? So who is this… _Whus_? Seriously?"

"My name is Whis," corrected a voice behind them, seemingly dripping with boredom. King Kai tensed immensely, his spine suddenly ramrod straight as the enormous ki of the beings behind them washed over him. Goku frowned, turning to stare at their guests with confusion splashed across his face. He hadn't felt them at all… "You would do well to never call me Whus again, Son Goku."

The being, Whis, held himself with a definite regal grace, his eyes surveying the planet before him with no indication of his thoughts. His black and maroon robes seemed to be a stark contrast to his fair blue skin, an even lighter shade than King Kai's own, and his white hair stood proudly against gravity. Pale cerulean eyes bore into Goku's own, sending a thrill of primal terror through Goku's system. Something deep inside him screamed for Goku to flee away from this being he couldn't sense, as if on some instinctual level he knew the amount of power this person possessed.

"O-oh, Whis! Lord Beerus! Greetings, I didn't know you would be… stopping by…" Beside him, King Kai trembled on his knees, seemingly without the ability to stand up. After all, it had been a while since their last encounter, but not quite long enough in the Kai's eyes. After all, the last time these two had been on this planet…

"We wanted to meet him," came a low drawl from behind the man called Whis. The speaker stepped out from behind the taller being, flicking a long ear and gazing down on Son Goku with an unreadable expression. He looked like one of those naked Egyptian cats that Chi-Chi hated so much, his purple skin taut over a thin body and his bulbous yellow eyes gleaming wickedly. While Whis' very person seemed to send Goku's nerves screaming, staring into Beerus' eyes felt like he was dying all over again. That split second of hopelessness he'd felt when the explosion had pulled him from his body, that second where only darkness permeated his vision, suddenly seemed to be dragging on forever. "One of the seven remaining Saiyans, but one of the three full-blooded survivors. Son Goku."

"You must be Lord Beerus!" Goku crowed excitedly, jumping to his feet despite King Kai's protests. He was already dead, so what's the worst that could even happen, right? … _Right_? "It's nice to meet you; King Kai was just telling me all about you and your amazing strength and giving me a little bit of a history lesson. I'm honoured that you know who I am!"

"Of course we know who you are," Whis murmured, folding one arm behind his back as his lips twisted into a knowing grin. Something about the way he stared at Goku gave off the impression that he knew something more about Goku than he himself did. "You yourself are quite the hero, but you also bring about amazing things. Things _this_ universe has never seen before."

"I do?" Goku questioned, frowning as he glanced between the two of them. They both had that strange glimmer in their eyes, the same disturbing smile plastered on their faces. What could they possibly know that he didn't? What had he brought about that was so amazing…? "What kind of things?"

"Questions for later," Beerus told him with a sigh, floating up off the ground to circle the Saiyan man. He seemed to actually sniff at him here or there, causing Goku to tense up and warily watch the God. Why was he sniffing him? What was he looking for? The way the God's eyes searched over his form, as if bypassing his very flesh and gazing into his soul, made every single one of Goku's nerves light up in fear. Fear of what exactly? Or perhaps it was just a thrill. A thrill that such an opponent was so interested in him?

"It's not him, is it, Lord Beerus?" Whis questioned, his eyes not even focused on the two of them as he spoke.

"No…" Beerus grumbled, floating back to his place in front of Goku. He seemed only mildly disappointed, that strange gleam still shining in his beady eyes. It was as if only half of what he'd been expecting had let him down. "You are strong, no doubt, but you're not the one I seek. Tell me, boy, have you ever heard of a Saiyan God?"

"Saiyan God?" Goku asked, tilting his head in confusion, crossing his arms as he thought. Super Saiyan? Multiple tiers of Saiyan ki? Sure. But a Saiyan God? Now, that just sounded silly. "No, can't say that I have. I've heard of a Super Saiyan, though!"

"Ah yes," Whis spoke up with a sly smile, dragging his gaze back to rest on Goku's own. "The Super Saiyan legend of planet Vegeta—the golden warriors, those who could change the fate of their damned little planet. How… interesting that you were the one to have accomplished such a feat. But, truthfully, that does not surprise me given who has been watching you."

"Watching me? Who's been watching me?"

"Mother…" Beerus admitted softly, his eyes finally leaving Goku's face to gaze up at the sky, his arms hidden behind his back in the same manner that King Kai often stood. What was it with higher beings and that stance? Did it make them feel more powerful? Yet, something seemed off with the way he was holding himself. Something in his stance told Goku that he was worried—his shoulders seemed tense at the news as if left his very mouth, much like Goku's own. Saturn was watching him? Why? Did that mean Earth was in danger?

"Saturn?" Goku fought to keep his voice down, flinching when Beerus' gaze snapped to him again as if offended by the tone of voice he had used to speak of his Mother deity. _If looks could kill_ … "I, uh, was learning about the Pantheon before you dropped in."

"I see that," Beerus commented, his eyes dropping to the family tree behind Goku's feet. Something in his face was a strange mix of amusement and another emotion he could not name. Bitterness? Longing? "It's good to make yourself familiar with your Gods and Goddesses. Especially those over the Multiverse—they would be greatly offended if you did not treat them with the proper respect."

"But why is your honourable Mother watching Goku?" King Kai questioned, his head bowed as he regarded the God. It was so strange to see the normally outgoing, sass-master teacher being so humble and quiet with a guest. King Kai was all about his way or the highway, and yet as soon as these Gods took a step on his planet he turned into the very definition of subservient. "After all, it's not very often that those Goddesses leave their preferred universe. Saturn has never shown any real interest in this universe outside of destroying planets as she sees fit."

"Mother has her reasons," Beerus assured the Kai, his eyes glazing over Goku's face, darkening as if in deep thought. "A light of hope."

"Light… of hope?" Goku repeated, frowning as he took in the expression on Beerus' face. What was that supposed to mean?

"Merely something she mentioned before I began my last rest." Beerus explained with a slight frown, his tail twitching in mild irritation. "It was after I told her of my search that I would begin after I woke up; it was the last time I've heard from her. I had a premonition about a Saiyan God, and I am supposed to find one at this time. They will be the very first opponent to match my strength—the perfect fight. If you are not the one, I will need to find the other remaining Saiyans and investigate them."

"That would leave the Son children, the Briefs child, and Prince Vegeta. Oh, and his brother." Whis commented lazily, levitating his staff around him in a circle as if to entertain himself. The onyx orb floating atop the staff held Goku's attention for a moment, and Goku found himself thinking of past days with his family. Chi-Chi's eyes had shone like that…

"His brother was never one for fighting," Beerus drawled easily, glancing down and picking at some imaginary dirt on one of his claws. As he spoke he glanced up to see the horror-filled realisation dawn on the Saiyan's face before him at Whis' words. "He could not possibly be the one I seek."

"Wait… wait you said Son children." Goku's eyes were wide as he stepped forward, hands outstretched toward the God in an almost pleading manner. Something in his chest ached horribly at those words, that niggling of foreboding that had been ever-present in the back of his mind suddenly overrunning his senses. " _Children_. I only have one son."

"You've not kept tabs on those you left behind?" Whis questioned with a slight _tsk_ , shaking his head with disappointment as he once more took his staff in hand. "You have two other children, twins."

"T-twins…?"

"Hmph—if you are not the opponent I seek, then we must be off." Beerus finally sneered, crossing his arms and turning to face his attendant without even a backward glance toward the still-stunned Saiyan. Goku's mind reeled at the two deities' words and he nearly missed the entirety of the rest of their conversation. "Whis… How long will it take to get to planet Earth?"

"Hm…" Whis tapped his staff against the surface of the planet exactly twice, not even blinking as a large, three-dimensional map materialised above their heads. Goku could see the blinking status of where they stood, and past various borders and stars he could see the translucent orb of his home planet: Earth. "Roughly thirty minutes or so, I gather."

"Then let's hurry—"

"Wait! Lord Beerus!" Goku called, stepping into the God's peripheral vision to gain his attention. The idea of his home world, twinkling so innocently under the God's dark gaze, left a pit of despair churning in his stomach. Those people had no clue who was looking at them, who was going to come to their planet and quite possibly destroy everything. The idea that he had two children he'd never met, the mental image of them never meeting him because he let the God go to them as they lived in peace… He had to buy some time— "I was wondering, could we maybe spar before you left? Just a little bit? You've gotta be the strongest opponent I've ever had the chance to face, and I've got a new trick I really wanna try!"

"A new trick?" Beerus drawled, turning expectantly at the promise of a challenge. He was no fool—he knew that standing before him was easily the most powerful Saiyan who had ever lived, the living legend himself. Son Goku's praises were sung across the universe and even being over the Multiverse had heard of him. It would seem he was the Champion of this universe, chosen by the Goddesses. "I suppose I could spare the time."

"Great," Goku murmured, spreading his legs just enough to fully support his body against the power already thrashing against his muscles. His skin screamed at the heat crawling along him, protesting against the violent white lightning dancing across his flesh. His hair began to drift up as his power grew, gaining height and lightening as he stared at his opponent. The energy that raged within him built up in his very center, screaming for it's release and tightening every fibre of Goku's being. Coal black eyes rapidly shifted to cerulean a the exact moment the ki within him exploded.

"So… _this_ is a Super Saiyan."

"This is only the _first_ tier of Super Saiyan," Goku corrected with a small smirk, enjoying the open expression of surprise on Whis' normally dull face. They hadn't seen just what he could do, huh? Well, if he was going to push his luck ever, now was definitely a great time. He could feel King Kai's anxiousness as the Kai retreated into his home, calling for them to please not annihilate his planet.

"First?" Beerus repeated, his eyes gleaming with what could only be described as excitement—like a cat who'd caught the canary, Chi-Chi would say.

Wordlessly, Goku clenched his fists at his side and tensed his entire body, hunkering down to gather as much of his ki as he could. This form was pretty much mastered, but it was the third looming behind it that put Goku on edge. He didn't know what would happen when he achieved it…

"This—" Goku called over the screech of his power meeting the atmosphere, his eyes still locked with Beerus' own and catching the way they widened only a fraction. " _This_ is the second tier."

Wind screamed around him, thrashing the few trees on the little planet and sending King Kai's only car sailing into the sky. Blood pricked in his palms as his nails dug into the flesh there and he finally screamed along, feeling the energy within pour out and around him, pulverising the ground underneath his feet and searing the grass around him. Lightning crawled across his form as he let out a deep breath, eyes bright with the thrill of power as his heightened senses took in the battle-lust oozing from the God before him.

"Impressive…" Whis murmured from behind his charge, eyes wide as he surveyed the complete difference in the man who had been standing before him. He held himself like a true Saiyan, animalistic and acting purely on the instinct to fight, yet the intelligence shining in his eyes promised a certain sense of danger. "It is indeed quite powerful for a mere mortal."

"You seem to have practiced this," Beerus observed, his tail swishing eagerly as he stared at his opponent. His tongue drifted across his chops in a swift movement, his eyes positively glowing as he surveyed the power pouring off the man before him. True, it was but a drop in the ocean when compared to his own power, but it was nothing he'd fought against in all of his existence as the God of Destruction. "Yet, you said you have a _new_ trick?"

"Yeah—I've never done this before…" Goku admitted, something within him yearning for a release. It was as if a thousand clawed hands were tearing at his insides, trying to rip themselves free and engulf him in the flames of their hatred. This was the power of his ancestors, the hundreds of years of anger at Freiza's reign, at the universe, but also their love for fighting. Their struggle for power. Everything that made the Saiyans was building within him, and finally Goku did not fight back any more. He let it go, feeling the white-hot power surge across his entire being, engulfing him and the area around him.

The ground was no longer under his feet, eaten away by the power radiating from him, and the world was encased in an eerie, golden glow. Goku watched through amazed eyes as this power surged around him, encircling him in it's strength almost like a shield. He could feel the heat around him, reaching out from every pore of his body, and he suddenly knew that his hair had grown longer than before. A glance at the window—though broken—of King Kai's home solidified that theory, his distorted reflection telling him that it was reminiscent of his older brother Raditz's hair.

After a moment of silence, Goku turned his eyes back to Beerus, smirking at the unadulterated blood-lust shining there.

"And this… is the third teir."

* * *

 **Here's chapter three for you—a little explanation to set up the world in a clearer perspective, as well as a little plot and a glance into what Goku's been doing all this time. I wanted to explain the Hierarchy of the Pantheon a bit, give a bit of information on the Gods/Goddesses and how they work. Hopefully this answers a few questions here and there, but also brings up even more than before.**

 **I hope you like it, guys!**


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